Change Your Mind: The Alternative
by Ghostlyfantastic
Summary: We all know how Change Your Mind went down. Steven's gem is pulled out, but becomes reunited with it and is himself again. But...what if it all happened differently?


"Steven!" Connie struggled to get out of Pearl's grip, who had been put under White Diamond's control, but was failing miserably.

Steven looked down to Connie, his mouth agape, as she grew smaller and smaller. Steven turned his head around to see White Diamond's evil smile.

She held her hand up as she said, "Now, Starlight. This has gone on long enough." She put her long, dark fingernails on the edge of Steven's gem. "It'll all be over soon, Pink."

Steven looked down in horror and closed his eyes, bracing himself for what was about to happen.

"NO!" Connie shouted, tears forming in the corners of her eyes.

White Diamond pulled lightly as the gem started to pull along with Steven's stomach. She kept pulling lightly, and some more and more, until…it came clean out.

Steven's expression softened as he slumped in White Diamond's grip.

"Steven! No!" Connie yelled. Pearl dropped Connie to the ground. Connie scrambled to get up as she ran to try to catch a falling Steven, whom White Diamond had dropped. She was too late though. He landed on the ground with a loud thump.

"Steven!" Connie ran over to him and tried to wrap his arm around her neck.

He looked awful. He had bags under his eyes, and he looked so fragile and weak, that Connie was afraid that trying to shake him awake would just make things far worse for his health.

"Steven! Steven, wake up!" Connie repeated her words over and over again, until she saw Steven open his eyes.

"Wha…Connie?" His voice was so quiet, Connie could barely hear him. "What…" He reached his hand over to the hem of his shirt and pulled it up, revealing an empty stomach. "What? No…whe-…where's my…"

Connie looked up, and Steven followed her gaze. White Diamond held his gem between her fingernails. She then let the gem fall to her fingertips.

She crushed it.

The pieces of it fell to the ground.

"No!" Steven tried to shout, but him being so weak, it only sounded like a harsh whisper.

"The deed is done." White Diamond said. "It's gone. It's all over now."

"What are you talking about?" Connie said, holding back her need to shout.

"She was a nuisance. She's finally gone." White Diamond responded.

Connie couldn't believe anything she had just witnessed. She looked to Steven. He had tears streaming down his face, but said nothing, nor any sound daring to escape from him.

"What are you-that doesn't make any sense!" Connie shouted.

"What sense are you making trying to help a weak, defenseless boy?" White Diamond retorted.

"Forget about what I'm doing!" Connie extended her arm toward White Diamond. "Do you realize what _you've_ just done?"

"Of course. I've gotten rid of Pink for forever." White Diamond said, saying it like it was obvious.

"Weren't you at the least bit sad or devastated when you thought Pink Diamond got shattered? Weren't you angry at the person who faked that?" Connie shouted.

"That was then. I may have cared a bit more back then, but now is now…" White Diamond thought for a little bit. "Although…I am still a bit mad that someone would've done something that serious…"

"Well look what _you_ did! _You_ just shattered her all over again!" Connie shouted.

White Diamond stared out into the open for a bit, a pink color spreading over her nose from embarrassment at her foolish actions.

"Well I-…I-" White Diamond tried to insult Connie, but only ended up getting more flustered.

The grey on the other Diamonds and on the Crystal gems faded away as they fell to the ground.

"Oh…" Amethyst held her head.

"Guys!" Connie picked Steven up bridal style and tried to hurry over to the gems. The gems' faces immediately turned into worried ones.

"What happened to him?" Garnet asked.

"Wh-…White Diamond grabbed him, and pulled his gem right out of him! The worst part is, she shattered it!" Connie now had tears streaming down her face. "Steven is really weak…"

"Oh Steven…" Pearl said, touching Steven's stomach to, indeed, feel nothing on it.

Connie laid Steven on the ground as she looked at him with worry. The other gems had pure concern on their faces.

"What about White Diamond?" Pearl asked.

Connie pointed to White Diamond, who was now on the ground with her hands on her face. "This isn't right! What's happening? What _is_ this?" White Diamond asked herself, frantically.

"Oh my! She's…she's off color…" Yellow Diamond said as she and Blue Diamond turned their heads away from her.

"Guys…" Steven tried to speak.

"What is it, Steven?" Connie asked, she and the gems turning to look at him.

"White Diamond is distracted…get the pieces…of my gem…" He said shakily.

The gems went over to the shattered pieces of Steven's gem and collected the pieces.

"Good." Steven said, his voice still a mere whisper. "Now bring them over here."

The gems brought the pieces over to Steven and set them down in front of him.

Steven got on his knees with the help of Connie. "I need you guys to back up." Steven said, softly, turning his head to face the others.

Connie and the gems backed up a few paces and watched Steven.

He started talking to the gem shards. "I don't know if you can hear me, but…please come out. I really need you now." Steven paused for a moment before continuing. "When I found that tape you made for me, I understood that you are a part of me. I don't know if it's really you that is now shattered into pieces, but…I need you to come back. So I can live my life. Just like you wanted."

The gem shards started to glow, and they all rose into the air. They formed perfectly back into a diamond, and soon, a body grew out from it. It was first the silhouette of Pink Diamond, then Rose Quartz, then Steven. Its feet touched the ground as the glow faded away to reveal a pink Steven.

Connie and the gems watched with amazement, but didn't know who Steven was talking about before. But, they did now because of his one word,

"Mom…" Steven said with a sad smile.

Pink Steven held out both arms and pulled Steven up from the ground. Steven looked at Pink Steven with pure joy and happiness, and hugged him, laughing and crying.

At first, Pink Steven just stared out with a blank expression, but soon a wide smile grew on his face as he too started laughing with Steven, twirling him.

They twirled, and danced, not having a care in the world. Pink Steven put Steven on his feet and they took steps together, still laughing from joy.

Soon, Pink Steven twirled Steven for the final time, before a white aura surrounded the two. All Connie and the gems could see was Steven and Pink Steven join together before the white aura shot across the entire room, blinding everyone.

All fell to the ground from a strange force pushing them down. Soon, they opened their eyes when they thought the blinding light had subsided. In front of them was Steven, wearing a black suit with white and pink ruffles at the neck collar and at the ends of his pant legs and sleeves. He also had black shoes, and there was a pocket with the head of a rose sticking out of it.

"Hey guys." Steven said with a smile, holding out his arms.

"Steven!" Everyone shouted at once. Connie rushed to him and pulled him into a tight hug.

"Steven! Are you back together? Are you _you_?" Connie asked.

"Yeah…yeah! I'm me!" Steven said.

"I've always been me."


End file.
